Attempting to avoid a collision may create as much risk as simply enduring the crash. A driver’s efforts to avoid a collision often involve sudden and unexpected maneuvers, such as a sharp turn or unexpected lane change. A recent semi-truck accident in Lynden shows how an effort to avoid an accident can often lead to a worse result.
The collision in question occurred about 12:42 p.m. on July 2, 2020 at the intersection of East Badger Road and Vinup Road in Lynden. A truck had stopped in the turning lane on Badger Road and was awaiting a signal that would allow a left turn on to Vinup Road. While the truck was stopped, a semi-trailer truck traveling in the same direction attempted to avoid hitting the stopped truck by moving into the eastbound lane. Unfortunately, the semi crossed into the southbound lanes and hit an SUV head-on.
The woman who was driving the SUV was seriously injured and taken to a nearby hospital. The woman died from her injuries shortly after arriving at the hospital,. The Border Patrol shut down East Badger Road between Line Road and Bender Road while it was completing its investigation of the accident.
Sorting out liability in this collision may take some time. Several potential causes immediately appear. Did the driver of the eastbound semi make a sufficient effort to determine that the westbound lane was not occupied? The fact that a collision occurred seems to suggest a negative answer. How fast was the westbound SUV traveling when the collision occurred? Did the truck that was waiting for a favorable turn signal employ its warning lights? Why did the westbound truck attempt to pass the stopped truck instead of simply waiting for the light to change? How fast was the westbound truck traveling? Did the driver feel that he could not stop in time and that changing lanes was his safest maneuver?
Answers to these questions must await completion of the police’s investigation. If the family members of the woman who died are interested in pursuing a wrongful death action, they may wish to retain their own accident investigation expert to provide some of these answers.
Anyone who is be faced with the death or injury to a loved one may benefit from contacting an experienced personal injury attorney. A knowledgeable lawyer can help answer some of the questions raised above by providing an analysis of the evidence, suggesting legal arguments to support a claim for damages and by providing an estimate of the likelihood of recovering damages for medical expenses, for past and future lost income and for lost emotional comfort and financial support.